Translations Film Festival Turns 10

April 29, 2015• byMichael Strangeways

That went by quickly.

Translations, one of the few film festivals in the world to showcase films made by and for the transgender* community is turning 10 years old next week. Produced by Three Dollar Bill Cinema and the springtime sister to the Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, held in October, the three day festival begins next Thursday, May 7 and runs through Sunday, May 10, 2015. Most films and programs will take place at Northwest Film Forum; two events will happen just down the street at 12th Avenue Arts, the new office space for Three Dollar Bill.

Highlights for Translations 10:

OPENING NIGHT! GAME FACE
The West Coast premiere of GAME FACE, with Fallon Fox in person! This inspiring film tells the parallel stories of Fox, Mixed Martial Art’s first transgender pro fighter, and Terrence Clemens, a gay college basketball player, as they navigate the obstacles of self-realization and acceptance by their sport and society.

Caught between the driving desire to achieve their dreams of athletic achievement and the need to be true to themselves, transgender mixed martial arts fighter Fallon Fox and gay Oklahoma college basketball player Terrence Clemens have to put their game face on every day. This inspiring documentary follows the subjects through an emotional and harrowing arc as they agonize whether, when, and how to come out and deal with the ramifications from the fans, allies, officials, and media after they do. Dynamically shot and well paced, this is Michiel Thomas’s directorial debut.

ASCENDANCE: ANGELS OF CHANGE – Special $5 screening! Activist Bamby Salcedo guides a group of transgender teens through the process of becoming “Angels of Change” in this empowering, vogue-tastic documentary.

LIVE PERFORMANCE with ManDate! The world premiere of Seattle band ManDate, featuring Clyde Petersen (GENDER FAILURE, BOATING WITH CLYDE), Marc Mazique, Corey J. Brewer, with special guest Lori Goldston (Nirvana, David Byrne)! This multimedia show will take you on a journey through changes on Capitol Hill, politics, queer history, and the wonderful world of VHS tapes. It’s weird, queer, and arty. This one-time performance is not to be missed!

Closing Night! TWO 4 ONE The award-winning new romantic comedy TWO 4 ONE puts a transgender hero in an unimaginable predicament. With just as much laughter as it has heart, this film about love and family provides a perfect end to the festival.

See the full listing of our fantastic festival films.

Regardless where you fall on the spectrum, there are fascinating films and programs to be seen here.

Check it out.

About the Author: Michael Strangeways

As the Editorial Director/Co-Owner, Michael Strangeways writes, edits and does about a million other jobs for Seattle Gay Scene, Puget Sound's most visited LGBTQ news, arts and entertainment website now celebrating its 14th year as a media outlet. A semi-proud Midwesterner by birth, he's lived in Seattle since 2000. He's also a film producer who would like you to check out the Jinkx Monsoon documentary, "Drag Becomes Him" now available on Amazon.com. In his spare time, he gets slightly obsessive about his love for old movies, challenging theater, "otters", vodka, chocolate, "I,Claudius", Lizzie Borden, real books made out of paper, disaster films, show tunes, Weimar era Germany, flea markets, pop surrealistic art, the sex lives of Hollywood actors both living and dead, kitties, chicken fried steak, haute couture and David Bowie. But, not necessarily in that order.